Get set for the most extensive live and free to air coverage of a major sporting event in New Zealand history, with TVNZ opening up access to all the action from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games across multiple channels and platforms.

From 4-15 April world class athletes from 70 nations and territories will descend on the Gold Coast for an 11 day sporting extravaganza to compete in 18 sports and 7 para sports.

Chief Executive Kevin Kenrick says TVNZ will deliver unprecedented coverage and viewing choice served across TV, mobile and connected devices. TVNZ 1 and DUKE will be fully focused on the Gold Coast event and TVNZ will launch two additional channels, Games Extra and Games Online, providing viewers wall to wall coverage around the clock.

“Follow the Games anywhere, anytime with our live coverage, replays and highlights available across TV and streamed online. This will be the most extensive coverage of a Commonwealth Games that New Zealand’s ever seen.

“The Commonwealth Games have a special place in New Zealand’s hearts – every four years they bring us together as we stop and watch. TVNZ’s focus is all about sharing the moments that matter to New Zealanders and we’re committed to ensuring this event is a shared national viewing experience,” he says.

The New Zealand team is expected to be the biggest yet with around 250 athletes taking part. TVNZ anticipates the event will draw big audiences based on the number of top athletes participating, our national passion for sport and the time difference running only two hours behind New Zealand.

“We know the country will want to back our athletes on the world stage and we’re proud to be bringing their stories to the widest audience possible in New Zealand. We’ve brought together a talented team of presenters and commentators to front our coverage, including Toni Street, Jeremy Wells together with some of the guys from the Alternative Commentary Collective, and Hayley Holt. On the ground, our experienced 1 NEWS sports reporters will cover all the action from the Gold Coast across multiple platforms,” he says.

TVNZ will even be extending its coverage outdoors and into shopping malls, with digital media screens showing live action in Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Auckland.

TVNZ 1’s coverage will focus on the New Zealand athletes and deliver viewers the big moments live from the Gold Coast.Toni Street will anchor 1’s primetime coverage from TVNZ’s Auckland studios. Earlier in the day, 1 NEWS’ Chris Chang will present the morning coverage and Melissa Stokes will take viewers through the afternoon’s events. From the Gold Coast, Sam Wallace will bring viewers a sense of the colour and energy of the sporting and cultural spectacular.

Expert commentators will join the presenters as the live action unfolds. New augmented reality graphics profiling key competitors and venues will give TVNZ’s studio presentation an immersive storytelling edge.

1 NEWS is sending a large team to Australia to cover the event from every news angle.

Weekday coverage starts with Breakfast at 6am. The Breakfast team will cross live to presenter Hayley Holt who will be based in the Gold Coast for the duration of the Games.

1 NEWS at Six will go live to the Games each night for the sports headlines with Andrew Saville, Peter Williams and double Commonwealth Games medallist Jenny May Clarkson.

The 1 NEWS contingent includes reporters Abby Wilson, John McKenzie and Matt Manukia; Australia correspondent Kimberlee Downs, Seven Sharp’s Michael Holland and Te Karere reporter Tamati Rimene-Sproat – they will be following the New Zealand team’s successes and keep viewers up with the play across platforms throughout the day.

TVNZ will also draw on the international commentary team provided by the event’s host broadcaster. Its line-up has yet to be announced.

Toni Street, Peter Williams and Jenny May Clarkson will present TVNZ 1’s live coverage of the Opening Ceremony from 9.30pm on 4 April, setting the scene for the world-class sporting competition to follow.

TVNZ 1 +1 will take a break from 4-15 April as TVNZ will direct the channel’s technical resource to pop up channel Games Extra.

TVNZ DUKE will be on air 24 hours a day with live and delayed coverage of full events.

DUKE’s coverage kicks off with the Opening Ceremony presented by Jeremy Wells, Matt Heath and Mike Lane of the Alternative Commentary Collective – providing a comic and unpredictable counterpoint to TVNZ 1’s offering.

Each weeknight at 8:30pm, join Matt Heath and Mike Lane for an entertaining look at the highlights of the day in The Moment.

1 NEWS’ Guy Heveldt anchors DUKE’s evening line-up, presenting the latest news and action from 6pm to the end of competition.

The channel’s following with younger audiences will be reflected in its event selection.

Pop up channel Games Extra is available on Freeview 14 and SKY 59 for the duration of Games with live and delayed sessions from 7am to 1am daily.

Online only channel TVNZ Games Online streams live and delayed event sessions in HD from 7am to 1am daily.

TVNZ’s online Commonwealth Games hub – tvnz.co.nz/commgames – brings together TVNZ’s full event coverage in one place. Watch live streams of all four of TVNZ’s Commonwealth Games channels and replay key moments. Plan future viewing with a comprehensive schedule filtered by channel, individual sport, and sessions featuring New Zealanders. The hub is integrated with 1 NEWS NOW, pulling in up to the minute coverage, results and commentary.

Re: will profile athletes and share coverage of key Games moments that are most relevant to young New Zealanders. Re:’s news content is distributed on its Facebook, Instagram and SnapChat channels.

Pacific coverageTVNZ’s coverage will screen across the Pacific. TVNZ will provide live action and local production house Sunpix – the team behind Tagata Pasifika – will produce daily highlights packages with a Pacific focus for broadcast in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.